Questions!

[Kasbe]

Hello! As I said earlier when I introduced myself, I started playing SH3 a few days ago. These days I've been struggling to learn the game, as I have to other subsim experience. My intention is to play in a full realism environment and thus I installed GWX and Iam working on manual targeting, manually calculating torpedoes and all that stuff. So far I have completed all the naval academy missions except the last one, and by now I have a lot of questions. :D

First of all, Im a bit puzzled about torpedoes. I have seen that sometimes a torpedo is enough to sink a ship instantly, but sometimes it takes minutes until I my officer reports a sinking, or I dont damage the ship enough to sink it. Is there any way to guess when you deal enough damage to cause sinking? or is it just experience? I find this matter really important because it can save torpedoes for other targets and prevent me from running out of ammo and watching the other ships get away while I wait for the reload.

Also, I dont quite get how the sensors work. I have read a little about making hidrophone contacts at periscope depth to spot ships before they come into visual range. But Im completely lost when it comes to spotting ships, calculating courses and intercepting them (which is, as I guessed on my first patrol ever this morning, VERY important). I'd like some feedback on how all this work.

And finally, navigation is my last Nemesis. Completing the navigation tutorial was useless for me. I know how to control the sub, but long-term navigation is a mystery. When you are told of patrol a grid, do you just plot a random course through the sea, set the engine at ahead standart and hit the time compressor? As I have 0 naval experience, I dont know the procedure. This morning, when I arrived at my target grid my crew was exhausted, apart from various other dissasters (like spending minutes wandering around the command room during time compression 1036, to suddently see I was surfaced sailing next to an english merchant). I'd like to know what do you do to get to your target destination: what time compression do you use? do you plot all the course, plot a few miles ahead only? what speed do yo use?

I hope you recognise some of my problems as "typical newbie questions" and you dont mean explaining things to me, or at least tell me where can I read about all this.
Thanks for your time, and good hunting

P.D: As I see there is no Q&A topic, I think we newbies could use this topic to ask everything so that we wont flood the forum with single-question topics.

[Synthfg]

Firstly Torpedo's do a variable amount of damage depending on where they hit the ship, what type of ship they hit and what type of explosion you use (Impact into the Hull or Magnetic Underneath)

Generally a magnetic shot does more damage than an impactor, however if you can get an impactor into the engine room (usually directly below the funnel) or into the magazine (usually directly below the guns) you'll get a kill.

If you have hit your target, monitor it's speed for a few mins, if it slows to 0 then it is usually an indication of a fatal hit (note that a magnetic explosion under the props can slow a ship to 0 without killing it) Also watch the waterline on the ship, if you have killed it it will begin to settle deeper and deeper

FOr Hydrophone contacts, if you zoom in on the map you will see a black line that indicates signal strength, direction and approximate range, mark this on your chart, surface and head in that direction for 10/15 mins, if you don't spot your target dive to perescope depth and try to reaquire the hydrophone target, the difference between the new contact and the innitial line should give you an approximation of target speed abd direction of travel, plot an intercept, surface and travel at top speed for another 10/15 mins, if you still don't spot dive and repeat the last steps

Time compression makes the game run faster, however contacts may be missed the step between 128 and 256 appears to be the biggest for this, if you can stand it try running at 128 when cruising (note that this will make atlantic crossings last an age)

[Laufen zum Ziel]

Download the Community Manual. It will answer many of your questions or link you to the answers. (it can be downloaded from subsim downloads).

I do not exceed 128-256 x as you miss contacts or get in trouble

[StevieVaughan]

I just got GWX a few weeks ago and have been playing like crazy and i have a few questions about it. Are we able to actually play the typ XXIII and why do the destroyers have god like hydrophones?

[Oneshot/Onekill]

I just got GWX a few weeks ago and have been playing like crazy and i have a few questions about it. Are we able to actually play the typ XXIII and why do the destroyers have god like hydrophones?You can't play the Type XXIII with GWX. The ASW sensor's have been beefed up with GWX to be more realistic. Yes destroyer's or any vessel with passive sonar could hear a U-boat that was making more than around 100 rpm's underwater.:yep:

[Synthfg]

In other words run silent run deep
Engine in silent mode at 2kts or less, and running well into the orange on depth will give you your best chance of evasion

[Captain Nemo]

Magnetic torpedoes have their uses but I find the impact torpedo more reliable, especially in rough seas. In game I find there is very little difference in the actual damage done by both types. The magnetic is ideal for shooting at targets where your AOB is not perfect e.g. assuming sea condtions were good, I have in my sights a line of three ships, I would set a mag torp for the first and last ship and an impact torp for the middle ship. I would wait until the AOB on the middle ship is near perfect then fire the first mag shot at the first ship, then the second mag shot at the last ship, then the impact shot at the middle ship. Doing it this way the torps should impact within a few seconds of each other and if luck is on your side, all three should go down.

To increase your success with one shot per ship (the real biggies like battleships etc being the exception), I normally choose impact and aim towards the bow of the ship, except escorts where dead middle seems to do the trick.

Nemo

[RoaldLarsen]

Magnetic torpedoes have their uses but I find the impact torpedo more reliable, especially in rough seas. In game I find there is very little difference in the actual damage done by both types.

Isn't that interesting. I have had quite the opposite experience. If I use impact I am less lkely to get a kill from one hit. And that makes sense, because the damage from an impact torp is mostly just blowing a hole in the side of the hull, which will cause flooding, while the detonation of a mag under the keel will not only cause flooding but it is more likely to cause major structural damage.

I suppose it depends on what damage model one is using. I would think that a damage model that made damage from an impact explosion more deadly than a magnetic explosion is less realistic.

The problem with magnetics is that they are more likely to miss in rough seas. This is compensated for by the fact that they are more likely to detonate at angles farther from the perpendicular.

[Captain Nemo]

Isn't that interesting. I have had quite the opposite experience. If I use impact I am less lkely to get a kill from one hit. And that makes sense, because the damage from an impact torp is mostly just blowing a hole in the side of the hull, which will cause flooding, while the detonation of a mag under the keel will not only cause flooding but it is more likely to cause major structural damage.

I suppose it depends on what damage model one is using. I would think that a damage model that made damage from an impact explosion more deadly than a magnetic explosion is less realistic.

The problem with magnetics is that they are more likely to miss in rough seas. This is compensated for by the fact that they are more likely to detonate at angles farther from the perpendicular.

Interesting indeed. As an example, I fired a mag shot at an Ore Carrier at an angle that would ensure a resonable run under the ships hull. Detonation was dead on, but the ship sailed on without showing signs of damage. This has happened on two separate occassions with Ore Carriers. Now an impact shot to the bow area and they usually go down no problem. I find magnetics less reliable and tend to detonate prematurely in seas affected by wind speeds in excess of 7-8 metres per second.

Nemo

[Synthfg]

TBH I tend to make the decision based on target and angle, If I'm end on always magnetic, If I'm near 90 degrees I'll usually go for the impact option, Tho last night stuck 2 impactors into HMS Nelson moored in Gib harbour with little effect, So growing frustrated Stuck a magnetic under her which caused massive secondaries and had her on the bottom in under a min My 2nd Battleship in my current campaign :)

[Kasbe]

Hey, Thanks for your explanations and feedback. I've spent some time reading the community manual, guides, old forum posts, and decided that 100% realism on the first patrol was a little too much. So I have unticked some realism boxes (event camera, dud torpedoes and some other minor things) and decided to start my first career. Serious career. Today I sank a french ship only to find it was 3 days before France became an enemy :( shame on me. Still happy because I sunk a ship on my own, from detection to the end. :) I hit her with a magnetic torpedo, wich at first didnt seem to cause any damage but after 2-3 mins caused several explosions.

Damn, now Im craving for more and I dont have time to play.

PD: I wasnt able to but ammo for the deck gun before starting my fisrt patrol. How come?

[Pisces]

Since you never said what kind of uboat you have, the type 2 doesn't have a deckgun in the beginning years. Others do have one. But because of a bug in the game it is very much not advised to change anything about your uboat loadout and crew complement before the 1st patrol. It could mean you do not get the earned renown creditted after your patrol. Consider the 1st patrol as an excercise to get aquainted with your boat and crew.

[Kasbe]

I'm on a VIIB. I just realised I am patrolling about a month before the war, and that I currently have no enemy ships to sink, all neutral. But I've managed to navigate to my target grid and patrol it, while getting accustomed to the sensors and stalking some french ships on the way as a training. Now Im on my 2nd patrol, 9 days before the UK and France become the enemy. So Im sailing at about 2knots to let enough time happen before I arrive at english waters :P

[Pisces]

I'm on a VIIB. I just realised I am patrolling about a month before the war, and that I currently have no enemy ships to sink, all neutral. But I've managed to navigate to my target grid and patrol it, while getting accustomed to the sensors and stalking some french ships on the way as a training. Now Im on my 2nd patrol, 9 days before the UK and France become the enemy. So Im sailing at about 2knots to let enough time happen before I arrive at english waters :PJust keep an eye on the fuel gage. She's a guzzler when she is moving slow aswel.

[McHibbins]

I managed 1shot/1kills with impact aiming for the bow. This will bring down most merchants in GWX ´cause of flooding. Patience is the key here ´cause they will not sink in seconds but mostly in 0,5 to 2 hours.

[Kasbe]

Today I finished my first patrol. I sunk 2 ships for 1900 tonnage. Im not pleased at all (even if its my fist patrol), as I've spent quite a lot of time on the sea, but I havent managed to encounter ANYTHING. After patrolling my designated grid, I went to the english coast only to sink a small ship, and then nothingness again.

I presume Im missing something. I received some messages from other uboats telling me things like "convoy on AL 5908 heading west", but I couldnt make use of this information as I couldnt know what it meant.

Do you have any tips or strategies on where/how to move to get a higher chance of contact?

[Torplexed]

Today I finished my first patrol. I sunk 2 ships for 1900 tonnage. Im not pleased at all (even if its my fist patrol), as I've spent quite a lot of time on the sea, but I havent managed to encounter ANYTHING. After patrolling my designated grid, I went to the english coast only to sink a small ship, and then nothingness again.

I presume Im missing something. I received some messages from other uboats telling me things like "convoy on AL 5908 heading west", but I couldnt make use of this information as I couldnt know what it meant.

Do you have any tips or strategies on where/how to move to get a higher chance of contact?

A lot of the messages you receive in GWX are to provide period atmosphere only. There is no other U-Boat and no convoy at that location. It's not unusual to spend a lot of time at sea in the game and see absolutely nothing for days as happened historically. It's a huge ocean. Your best bet is to hang on the main convoy routes from North America and Gibraltar, especially where they come together north of Ireland. Sooner or later you'll get a contact report.

[Kasbe]

Ok thanks. With that in mind, I've gone a few saves back and Im continuing the patrol as I've got plenty of fuel and torpedos. AS you suggested, I went to the main routes and Im finding guite a lot more activity. I've sunk 2 ships in an hour (real time), compared with the 2 ships I had sunk in about 5 hours.

I think running at low speed helps. If you're on the route, and you know ships are going to come by, I think its no use going fast and deviate from their course.

[bookworm_020]

With larger ships, impact hist below the forward mast to under the bridge seem to bring them down. Smaller ships, from under the funnel to the rear mast.

There will be the occasional ship that will need more (small ones can be tough to sink, I used three to sink a ship less than 2,000 tons, pride was the reason!) and remember that they will sometimes take awhile to sink. If your unsure, use another, and for bigger or more important targets (liners, cruisers, battleships, carriers) more are recommended!:arrgh!:

[Murr44]

Try AM51 through AM53. There is usually a fair bit of traffic in these squares. Avoid using high tc (256x & above) in AM52-53 as you can run into trouble (ASW vessels) really fast!:eek: In the early war years ('39-'40) avoid using magnetic pistols. The pistols malfunctioned quite a bit which resulted in premature detonations & many lost kills.:damn:

Hope this helps & good hunting...:arrgh!:

[Synthfg]

Also when shooting at large warships (Battleships, Cruisers) aim for underneath the turret the objective being to detonate the magazine It can be spectacular when you hit the sweet spot

[Pisces]

A lot of the messages you receive in GWX are to provide period atmosphere only. There is no other U-Boat and no convoy at that location. It's not unusual to spend a lot of time at sea in the game and see absolutely nothing for days as happened historically. It's a huge ocean. Your best bet is to hang on the main convoy routes from North America and Gibraltar, especially where they come together north of Ireland. Sooner or later you'll get a contact report.Most radio messages are indeed just immersion only. But sometimes you get a radio message that belongs to a convoy icon on the map. It gives a grid quadrant (where the icon is), speed in knots and rough course. Which is also written into the message panel. These ARE reliable. If you are within range definately intercept them! I am not sure if this also comes with radio morsecode audiocue, or cuts down the time compression. But keep a sharp eye for them.

[Kasbe]

thanks! that confirms my ideas. The hunting is going better now, I have intercepted a convoy and managed to sneak into it without being detected by the escorts. I have noticed I have a lot to learn and practice (probably on single missions after I get to base after the attack). Sadly, I had to stop playing when the best part was about to come (a few minutes before launching the salvo at the biggest target).

Thanks for the help, I'm really learning a lot via this forum.

[Jimbuna]

One small step at a time Kaleun...to begin with.

Good hunting.

SINK EM ALL!! http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/pirate.gif

[Oneshot/Onekill]

Don't get frustrated. We all had to take baby steps to start. You will get better with practice, practice, practice.:up: